The Used

Heartwork

Heartwork is a little bit all over the map musically, but that notwithstanding, the record has a bunch of solid tracks on it, including Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton; Blow Me; Wow, I Hate This Song (a sentiment that I echo about so, so many songs on the radio these days); 1984 - infinite jest; Gravity's Rainbow; and To Feel Something. The album has too many tracks. Had the band tightened up the album and axed some of the lesser quality songs, this rating would have been in the 90s.

The Used are hit or miss for me. The first album is a classic. This album is just a little to boring and melodramatic.

If I was about 3 years younger I would be SO into this. These days, I have a harder time enjoying melodrama. Out of the emo pop rock type stuff I've heard recently though, easily some of the best. Really solid song structure, some relatable stuff on here, nice instrumental work. All the songs feel satisfying and have nice choruses. The main problem if any is that it's pretty similar to he other stuff like it. That and the fact that it's SO dramatic and edgy. It's the better end of what you'd ... read more

The Used are a band I’ve frequently heard mentioned in the musical circles I frequent, being something of an emo juggernaut alongside My Chemical Romance. So with arguably the best album art of the year, I figured their latest release ‘Heartwork’ would be a good place to jump in.

This was a shockingly good listen. A wide and varied soundscape that never feels out of place, with a hugely theatrical flair throughout, it immediately became clear why this band is as popular as ... read more